


Recovery

by JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Kinda?, barry is in chapter 2, but it's kinda happy, look there's a lot of crying, post story and song, shitty wizard twins, taakitz mention, the twins are just really emo okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-21 15:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12460827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite/pseuds/JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite
Summary: It took time, as all difficult and important things do, for the world to recover from what was done to it that day. But the world wasn’t the only thing that needed to recover.





	1. Chapter 1

Lup watched from the sidelines as Magnus lifted that smart  little boy--Agnes? No, Angus-- onto his shoulders, the boy detective gleefully shouting “Hey, everybody! Johann was right! We won!”

And they had. They’d won. Against all odds, that thing they’d been trying to do for a century...it was done. They’d finally finished their mission.

It felt...odd. She’d been gone for who knows how long--it was hard to track time inside a fucking umbrella--and then suddenly she escapes and they finish their mission, all within in a few hours. Everyone was celebrating, and Lup was happy, she really was, but at the same time...She needed time to process everything.

Amidst the all the hugging and shouting, she felt a familiar hand take hers, or, well, try to anyway, since she was currently a lich, and smiled a little as she looked over and saw her brother, Taako, one of the people she’d missed the most while she was trapped in the Umbra Staff.

“Wanna ditch these chucklefucks and go get dinner, Lulu?” He asked, his eyes giving away the concern he was keeping from his voice. Lup couldn’t actually eat, they both knew that, but...some time alone with her twin brother sounded wonderful.

“But Barry probably…” She glanced to where the love of her life was excitedly catching up with the rest of the Starblaster Crew.

“Oh please, Barold knows that I trump him any day,” Taako teased. Lup knew him will enough to get the deeper meaning.  _ I need this to be just us.  _ Even after so long building a new family on the Starblaster, sometimes they still needed some time for just them. Old habits and all.

She smirked as they started to wander away from the others. If they noticed, they didn’t say anything. Lup was grateful for that.

“So, you’re dating the Grim Reaper...how’s that going?”

* * *

 

They went to the last place anyone would think to look for them--the ruins of the bureau headquarters. The Tres Horny Boys dorm, in fact. Taako was making dinner with whatever was left of the kitchenette, talking up a storm, as per usual.

“And then, you know, you tried to kill him on our first date--which wasn’t cool, Lulu, you really cockblocked me there.”

Lup couldn’t take it anymore. It was time to address the elephant in the room.

“I...I’m sorry, Taako,” she said, her usually overconfident voice now timid and just a little scared.

“Well, you’re forgiven. It was just a minor setback in my grand plan, I mean obviously we recovered--”

“Taako, you know that’s not what I meant.”

There was a long pause, as Taako froze where he was for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. “...You just...you just left, Lup. You didn’t even say goodbye. Just... _ Back soon _ .”

“Taako, I--”

“But it wasn’t soon, Lup. You were gone for so long, and you didn’t even say goodbye. Not to me, not to Barry…”

“I--I know. I’m sorry. I thought...I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s--it’s my biggest regret.” If she had a face, there’d be a sad attempt at a smile on it. “Being stuck in an umbrella with nothing but your thoughts gives you a lot of time to think about what you could’ve done better.”

It was then that Taako remember it wasn’t just a vacation for Lup. “...I’m sorry-” And then she was right there, trying to hug him, and he tried to hug her, which was hard when she didn’t really have a physical form, but they were trying, and then--oh god--Taako was crying, and then she was crying, or as close as a Lich could get. Years of pent up emotions finally coming out.

“I’m so sorry Taako. I’m so sorry. I--I tried to come back, I tried so hard, and you--you almost died so many times and I wouldn’t have been able to help--”

“Lup, Lup, it’s--it’s okay. It’s okay. You’re here now, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Yeah…”

They stayed like that for a few more moments, before Taako went back to cooking. There was a calm silence in the room before Lup spoke again.

“You know...at first--at first I didn’t realize you all had forgotten.”

“What?”

“When you first found the staff. You were all together, and happy, mostly, and didn’t say anything about it being my staff, and I thought...I thought maybe you’d just. Moved on.”

“What? Lup, why the hell--”

“I know, I know, it’s stupid, but I’d been alone for--for I guess years at that point? I don’t know. Time kind of lost meaning in there. A lot of things lost meaning. But I had all day every day to sit and go through the worst case scenario for what was going on out there and what was happening to you guys, and you know I have a great imagination Taako--”

And then he was hugging her, this time, or trying to. “I would never, ever just move on from you, ever. You--you’re my twin sister. My best friend. The peanut butter to my jelly. The green eggs to my ham. The--”

“Taako. No.”

“Okay, fine, but you get it. I wouldn’t just casually move on from you, ever, you goofus.”

“I know, I know…”

“Now, I’m gonna finish cooking, because I’m hungry as fuck, and neither of us are gonna cry anymore tonight, okay Lulu?”

“Fine,” she chuckled. “No more crying.”

* * *

 

Neither of them were able to stick to that. They both shed many tears that night, but they weren’t always sad tears. They were tears of joy, tears of relief, tears for whatever emotion they felt because they were alone with each other and could do that.

They traded stories about the time they spent apart. Taako, obviously, had much more interesting ones, but he was very proud when Lup told him about Edward.

“And then, I staredhim deadass in the face, and said “I’m gonna fucking kill you now,” and, oh my god, I swear he shit his pants, you would’ve loved it.”

“Oh my god, I’m glad that one of us got the pleasure of fucking destroying him.”

* * *

 

“You know, I have a friend who’s a bugbear.”

“You  _ what _ ?”

“Totally. I think it was right before we found the staff? Maybe right after? But I charmed a bugbear and it just. It never really wore off. He’s our hugbear now.

“Your  _ WHAT _ ?”

* * *

 

Lup ended up passing out before Taako did. Not that Liches really needed sleep, but it was still something she enjoyed doing (there weren’t really other ways for her to pass the time in the staff), and...today had been exhausting.

When she woke up the next morning, Taako had fallen asleep on the couch with her, the dingus.

Then she realized that he was gripping her incorporeal hand as tight as could, as if she was going to disappear, and learned that she still had some tears left to shed.


	2. This is real.

Lup wasn’t quite the same after her time in the Umbra staff. At first it wasn’t obvious, just little things. She couldn’t be in total darkness anymore. Said she’d spent too much time in the dark. Barry knew this, and he understood.

* * *

 

She couldn’t sleep peacefully unless he was right there beside her, with an arm around her so she’d know he was there. Said she had nightmares about them all disappearing. Barry knew this, and he understood.

* * *

 

If he wasn’t in the same room as her, all the doors between them needed to be open, and she had to hear him. Said she spent too long hearing without seeing. Barry knew this, and he understood.

* * *

 

Every little thing she needed to cope, to recover, Barry knew, and understood, and he still loved her as deeply as he did before she disappeared. And she still loved him too.

But for all their love, Barry knew there were things she wasn’t telling him about just how bad things had been for her.

* * *

 

The way she’d rush into the kitchen with an almost panicked look when he got up before her to make breakfast, but quickly brush him off with the “hearing without seeing” excuse.

* * *

 

The way she’d immediately frown and start mumbling in her sleep if he stopped holding her for even a moment. She always just said she was scared he’d disappear.

* * *

 

Taako was the first person he’d asked about it. If anyone knew Lup, it was her twin brother. They’d spent an entire night together when she first returned, he had to know something.

It turned out he didn’t. He’d noticed the changes, but hadn’t pried when he had the chance that night, and now he just got the same answers Barry did, which pissed the elf of a bit. He was her twin brother. Her other half. She should be able to talk to him.

Still, though. He didn’t pry. And neither did Barry.

Perhaps they should have.

* * *

 

Barry was not an early riser. He felt out of place being up before the sun, or even with the sun. If other people weren’t up and doing things, neither was Barry. That was just how things worked.

However, this morning Barry woke with the sun and for the life of him could not get back to sleep. It took him a moment to realize that at some point in the night he’d drifted away from Lup, but she was still sleeping fine. That was a good sign, right? Maybe he could surprise her with breakfast in bed. She was the better chef between the two of them, to be sure, but he made some pretty great pancakes.

Carefully, trying not to wake the love of his life, Barry stood up. No reaction from Lup. He made it to the door. So far so good.

Making sure to leave the bedroom door open, he made his way to the kitchen, taking stock of what they had. Damn, no eggs. Maybe...he stilled for a moment. There were no sounds from the bedroom. He could run to Fantasy Walmart and grab some before she woke up, right? If he wasn’t a morning person, Lup was barely an afternoon person. He checked on her one more time before getting dressed and slipping out the door.

* * *

 

When Lup awoke she was alone. That was unsettling. But, she was sure Barry was just in the kitchen making breakfast or something...But it was awfully silent.

“Bar? Barry?” She called. No answer. “What the hell…”

She crawled out of bed with a groan, putting a robe on and shuffling out to the kitchen. There was no one there. Now she was starting to panick. “B-Bar? Love, this isn’t funny...where are you?” No answer. “B-Barry? Barold?” Maybe he had to step outside for something. Yeah, that was it. She’d open the front door and he’d be right there and there’d be nothing to worry about.

She was wrong. He was nowhere in sight. “...Barry?”

He...he’d been here...that was real, right? This...this was real, right? Her vision started to blur, and she blinked a few times to clear it, and suddenly she was back inside the umbra staff, surrounded on all sides by thick, black velvet.

No, no...no she’d escaped. She was free. Right? She found herself unsure. “B-Barry? Barry? Taako?” she started running, fighting her way through the curtains, and just finding more and more darkness.

* * *

 

When Barry returned to a wide open front door, he knew something was wrong. “Lup? Love?” No answer. “...Lup?” he set the eggs down on the counter, rushing to the bedroom to find it empty. “Babe?” He checked the bathroom. Nothing. “Lup this isn’t funny…” She wasn’t anywhere in the house. Fuck. He went back outside, running a hand through his hair to try and figure out what to do. She couldn’t have gone far...He heard a familiar voice shouting in the distance and took off running, and soon saw a familiar figure wrapped in a signature red robe. “Lup?!” She didn’t appear to hear him...weird. He ran closer. “Lup, hon...Come back inside!”

As he grew closer he could see that something was wrong. She looked terrified and unfocused, as though she were charmed or something, but...that was impossible. Who would’ve had the time to come do that, and why?

“Lup, Lup, come on, let’s go home…” he murmured, reaching for her hand. She almost came back, almost focused on him, but instead she pulled away the fear on her face growing. 

“You’re not real,” she whispered. “You’re not--you’re not real!” She started backing away. “You’re not real!”

“Lup I--of course I’m real. Why--why wouldn’t I be?” He reached for her again. “It’s...it’s me, Lup. It’s Barry…” He cautiously reached for her hand again, but she just yanked it away, shaking her head.

“Stop it! Stop it! You’re not real!” She started running again.

God damn it. Barry was scared now too. What happened to Lup? He chased after her, eventually catching up and pulling her into his arms. “This is real, Lup, I promise. I’m real. I’m real, and I’m right here, and I’m not letting go of you ever again, okay?”

She struggled against him for a bit, but eventually stopped, slowly looking up at him. “This is real, Bar?”

“This is real, Lu.” He gently took her hands, pressing them to his cheeks in an attempt to help her feel this was real. “I’m real.”

It was as if time froze for a moment, as the last of the fog faded from Lup’s eyes.

And then suddenly her arms were around him and she was  _ sobbing _ . Huge, shoulder heaving sobs, with her face buried in his chest.

It broke his heart.

He didn’t know how long they stood like that, but eventually Lup calmed down enough for him to help her home.

* * *

 

Pancakes were forgotten. They sat on the couch, Lup pressed against Barry in an uncharacteristically vulnerable fashion. Barry kept his arms protectively around her, scared that she might try to run off again.

It was a long time before either of them spoke.

“I’m sorry…” Lup whispered, her voice timid and hoarse.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for…” Barry assured her, holding her close. “I was just worried for you…” 

“Sorry I worried you…” She whispered.

Barry knew he shouldn’t pry. He knew that she’d tell him what this was about when she was ready but god damn it he couldn’t wait any longer. Not after this.

“Lu...what happened?” He asked softly. “You...you were saying that this wasn’t real, that  _ I _ wasn’t real…”

“Yeah, well...Being trapped in an umbrella for years will really, uh, fuck a girl up,” she said, trying to make a joke of it but realizing it wasn’t that funny. “It was...It was really dark, in there. Just. Black velvet, all around.”

And so she started to tell him the story of her time in the Umbra staff.

* * *

 

How the darkness was never ending, how no matter how far she ran she was always surrounded by the thick, velvet blackness. How sometimes it felt like she was suffocating it it. How she felt trapped and helpless.

* * *

 

How she’d spent a lot of time imagining what’d it’d be like for them all to be together again. How happy they all would be. 

How, whether an effect of the magic of the staff or just the effect of her isolation, she’d started...seeing the things she imagined. Seeing Barry, and Taako, and Magnus, and Merle, and Davenport, and Lucretia--Seeing everyone, out in the darkness, hiding amongst the curtains. How she’d follow them, for hours, having entire conversations with these figments. How, if she followed them far enough, she could imagine she’d escaped. That she could see the sky, and the sun, and her friends. How, just as she would start to feel safe, and happy, the visions would vanish, he loved ones slipping away from her like sand, leaving her alone in the dark, clutching the velvet curtains. 

* * *

How helpless she’d felt, when they found the staff, and she was able to hear her friends, faintly at first, then louder as time went on. How she could hear them, but no matter how loud she shouted, no one could hear her. How no one seemed to remember her.

* * *

 

How scared she’d been that she would be trapped there forever.

* * *

 

She was sobbing again by the time she finished, and Barry just held her close, crying as well. He’d had no idea...He shouldn’t have left this morning. He should’ve just stayed with her. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Eventually she started to pull away, sniffling as her sobs subsided. “...Taako’s gonna kill me for telling you before him.”

“He’ll have to kill me first,” Barry teased, kissing her forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> So I did my best to follow canon (I spent so long referencing transcripts lmao) but if I got some facts wrong, I'm sorry, I'm only human and audio comprehension is not my strong suit. I also forgot that liches don't have bodies until about halfway through writing chapter 1. So. Yeah. I hope you enjoyed it anyway!


End file.
